Photo © Julia HarrisThis immature American Purple Gallinule was found freshly dead in a private garden on west Dartmoor this morning. Late this afternoon it was handed over to the Assistant County Recorder when the above photo was taken.
If accepted, this will be the third record for Britain following an immature picked up exhausted on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, 7th November 1958 (British Birds 53: 145-146, plate I; G. A. Pyman and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 53: 164; K. Williamson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 53: 371; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 42), and an immature picked up dead at Southill Park, Old Warden, Bedfordshire, April or May 2008 (B. Nightingale, Birdwatch Issue 200, Feb., 2009: 60-61)
If accepted, this will be the third record for Britain following an immature picked up exhausted on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, 7th November 1958 (British Birds 53: 145-146, plate I; G. A. Pyman and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 53: 164; K. Williamson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 53: 371; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 42), and an immature picked up dead at Southill Park, Old Warden, Bedfordshire, April or May 2008 (B. Nightingale, Birdwatch Issue 200, Feb., 2009: 60-61)
Please contact recorder@devonbirds.org for any further correspondence.
Steve Waite
Devon County Recorder